Could it Be?
by Katerinapetrova6969
Summary: Could it be that the phantom is still alive due to a nasty curse? Lizzie visits the Opera Populaire on a field trip and soon finds herself in deep trouble. The phantom is after her. But why? Then her best friend admits he is in love with her. How could this get any more confusing? Erik/OC
1. Opera Populaire

My name is Lizzie. I am on a two week tour of Europe with nineteen of my smartest class mates. It is an honors history field trip.

Tonight we are going to be visiting and staying at the Opera Populaire. I can't wait! The mysterious story of Christine and the Phantom is absolutely romantic. Except for the part where she left him and started a life with Raoul.

Everyone said that the stories were made up and that no such thing had happened, but some people still believed. Like I do. There was a story that a witch had cursed him after Christine had left. Supposedly, he was cursed to stay exactly the same until he found someone who could love him. That he couldn't die or age even if he tried to kill himself or something. They say he is still there, under the opera house.

I completely believe all of the stories. I believe that he is still searching for a love like Christine. He is probably just very heart broken. It is so sad.

Jeremy broke me from my daydreaming. "Hey, we're getting off the bus. Are you ready for this?"

"Well of course!" I exclaimed, "I've only wanted to go here my whole life!"

He broke into a smile. "Yeah I know. You haven't shut up about it the whole trip," he was laughing as I mock punched him in the arm.

"Come on you to!" Mr. Gibson said. Apparently everyone was waiting for us, again. We were always fooling around and running late. Jeremy had been my best friend since first grade. Now that we were seniors in high school, we were practically inseparable. I don't _like _Jeremy though, we're just friends.

We entered the opera house. It took my breath away. There was a huge staircase on either side. Everything was shiny and beautiful. The high ceiling was painted, probably by hand. It was just so fancy.

The tour guide said that the opera house was going to be sold soon. For the time being only her and her daughter lived there along with a couple hired maids who kept it up. They gave tours, but no actual operas were performed anymore. Perhaps the new owners would change that.

We had paid for a full tour and we were spending the night. "Sometimes people that spend the night say they could hear a piano playing a sad song. Some believe it is Erik Destler, the phantom of the opera. You will all be spending the night in the dancer's rooms. Maybe you will hear it too."

Everyone pretty much ignored what she had said, but I was listening intently. I bet I'll hear it tonight.

Jeremy and I were looking up at the ceiling. It was absolutely beautiful. "Liz, I need to tell you something and this seems like a good time."

"Okay, what is it Jer?"

A girl, about fifteen or sixteen suddenly came up next to us. "What are you doing alone in here?" She inquired.

I hadn't even noticed that the rest of the group had left us until then. "We were with a tour group, but I guess we got left behind on accident," I said.

"Agaaaaain," Jeremy teased.

The girl seemed worried, "You need to find them. It isn't safe to be alone in here."

Jeremy seemed upset by something, but I couldn't figure out what. "I'm going to see if I can find the group. I'll be right back." He sounded irritated. Maybe what he wanted to say had been really important.

I turned to the girl, "I'm Lizzie. You must be the guide's daughter."

"Yeah I'm Rebecca." Rebecca was probably five foot four with long brown hair and dark green eyes. I was five foot seven with long black hair and blue eyes.

I was very interested in this girl. "So do you believe the phantom is still here?"

Her eyes became wide. "I know he is. I've seen him."

"You have?" I asked.

"Yes, do you believe?"

I nodded my head yes. "Definitely!"

Rebecca seemed to be trying to decide something when suddenly she asked, "Do you really really believe? You seem to be a true believer like me."

I smiled. This girl was pretty cool. "I believe with all my heart."

Rebecca smiled great big. "I can show you something really really cool, but you can't tell anyone!"

"I won't. I swear! What is it?"

She headed up the big staircase. I looked in the direction Jeremy had gone. We would find him later, I wanted to see whatever Rebecca was going to show me.

We walked up more stairs. Eventually we came to a set of doors. Rebecca pulled out a key and unlocked the door.

It was a bedroom. Christine's bedroom, in fact. "It's amazing!" I exclaimed.

"I know." She said, "This is more amazing though. I've never showed anyone, not even my mom. You strike me as someone special though."

We walked over to the large mirror. Rebecca put her hand on the mirror and with a bit of effort it slid open revealing a hallway. It was made of stone with candles and carvings. I gasped aloud and she grinned great big.

"My grandma said I'm descended from Madame Giry. I've never been to the end of this hallway because I'm always to scared. There is a corner at the end and I have no clue what is around the corner. He is in here somewhere though."

I took a step into the hallway and her eyes got big. "Oh calm down it's fine."

Rebecca took a very slow step to meet me in the hallway. "When I was younger someone broke in and came into my room. He saved me. The Phantom saved me. He is real."

"I know he is. I believe you. Come on were going on an adventure." I winked at her and started down the hallway.


	2. The Hallway

I started down the hallway cautiously. Rebecca was right behind me, but I could tell she was extremely nervous. "Hey, you're fine. I'm here. It's not like anything bad is going to happen."

I turned and looked at her. Panic was written all over her face. "I'm not sure this is a good idea Lizzie. What if we find him? What if he is mad at us for disturbing him?" She started to walk backwards.

My hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. "Look, all logic says that there is no way he could really be down here."

"Screw logic! You said you were a believer," she accused. How dare she accuse me of not believing. I was the one who decided to go into the creepy hallway. This was cold hard proof that he had at least existed at one time.

I let go of her wrist, but Rebecca didn't back away anymore. Slowly, quietly I explained, "I do believe that he is down here somewhere, but if it makes you feel better we can pretend like we are logical people."Before I said it, there was no way I thought it would come out funny. However, Rebecca started giggling. "What is so funny?" I asked.

"I don't think either of us could ever be logical people. We just met and already we are exploring dark, scary places together. That isn't quite logical." I began to giggle to. She had a point.

I turned and started down the hallway again. Wasting time wasn't wise, especially since my teacher would soon realize I was missing. They would be looking for us soon. "Come on. We gotta get a move on." Cautiously, Rebecca gave in and began to follow me.

The hallway was pretty dark towards the end. Some light was seeping in from the mirror that we left open. There were candles on the walls, but none of them were lit. "Do you have a lighter or something?" I asked.

"No, but my phone has a flashlight if that helps," she replied.

I had forgotten about that. There was a light on my phone too. "That is okay. I have my own. Totally forgot about it." I pulled my phone out and turned on the flashlight application. The hallway was much more beautiful when illuminated. The carvings in the walls were probably done by hand at some point. It was all very dark and mysterious. Perfect.

We neared the end of the hallway when I heard Rebecca whisper from behind me, "I've never gotten this far. I always chicken out before seeing what is around this corner."

"Well, it's time to find out," I said with a smile.

Slowly I peered around the corner. When nothing jumped out at me, I stuck my phone out so I could see. It was just another hallway ending in another corner. I laughed quietly, "If it took you this long to get to the end of this hallway you are in for a real treat," I announced.

Rebecca shoved herself around me so that she could see. "You've got to be kidding me!" Another giggle escaped my lips as she turned pale.

This time was much easier. The first hallway had the element of surprise, but judging on the fact that there was a second hallway I assumed there were more after this one. Still, I took my time.

We came to the second corner. No surprise, another hallway.

After the fourth or fifth hallway, the fear left Rebecca. We were almost quick walking. No words had been exchanged since the second hallway.

The sixth or seventh, I'd lost count, started to seem different. The walls began to curve and the floor was angling downward. We were heading underground. I began to wonder if the end of this hallway would leave us on the famed staircase. Supposedly the staircase led into his lair, but was covered in subtle traps to keep nosy people like Rebecca and I away.

I was right. After a minute or so the curving hallway dumped us onto a curving staircase. I looked over the stone railing. It looked to be six flights down.

Rebecca was still in the opening to the hallway. "Well come have a look, won't you." I said.

"I ain't going over there! Stairs are scary!"

"Is there anything not scary to you?" I asked sarcastically.

She thought for a moment. "Macaroni," came her reply.

I shook my head slightly. There was probably no chance she would venture any further. I leaned over the railing again. It was very pretty. I could see without my phone. That was when I noticed the candles on the staircase were lit. Someone had been down here. Recently.

I turned to point this oddity out to Rebecca when a loud noise rang out from below us. It was so sudden and loud that Rebecca screamed, rather loudly too. She turned to run and nearly stepped on a rat in her haste, causing her to scream again. Then she started in the other direction, towards me, but walked into a spider web. This caused her to scream one final time.

Her screams echoed on the staircase and soon mixed with my laughing. To me, that had been very comic.

"What was that noise? This isn't funny! I was scared," Rebecca's face was pale as a ghosts.

I felt a little bad for laughing at her. "I think it was a piano. It was hard to tell with all of your screaming."

She looked at me with worried eyes. "Do you think it was the phantom? Could it have been Erik?"

That was what I had been wondering. It made the most logic in my very illogical way of thinking. Once more, I leaned over the railing. I was hoping I'd hear the noise again. "Yepp that was definitely the phantom," I told her.

Rebecca's eyes got great big, "How do you know?"

"Because I'm looking right at him." I could hear her jaw hit the floor. She gasped a little. It was the truth though. Leaning over the railing, I was staring at him. He was standing at the bottom of the staircase, staring at me. The phantom wore an old looking suit with the high wasted pants and white fluffy shirt under a black over coat looking thing. And let's not forget that he was wearing his signature mask, covering half of his face.

Rebecca took a step forward like she wanted to see him, but then took two backwards. She quickly asked, "Does he look mad?"

"I couldn't tell."

"Couldn't? Past tense? Is he gone?" She asked.

At this point her fear was coming back and spreading to affect me as well. "No. He's coming up the stairs," I explained a little too calmly.

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Hey guys it's me Katerina. This is my first Phanfic, but I've been wanting to do this one for a long time. If you guys have any suggestions or comments you can pm me. It would be a big help if you all review because that makes me want to write more. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed:) Next chapter will be up soon!


	3. Run!

"He's what?" Rebecca practically yelled.

I turned away from the railing. "He is coming up the stairs." The color drained from my face. I never get scared, but this could be bad. He had killed before. What was to stop him from killing the two of us?

Rebecca grabbed my arm and started off back into the hallway. "Come on! We have to get out of here!" she screamed at me.

I followed her and we started running back the way we had come. All of a sudden I tripped over my shoelace and tumbled to the ground. Rebecca turned and ran back for me. While she was helping me up I heard footsteps somewhere behind us. He must've reached the top of the stairs.

Rebecca dragged me onto my feet and broke out into a run again. I sprinted after her, fear pulsing through me. He wouldn't hurt us if he caught us though. Would he? I had read everything I could about him, but that didn't mean I could predict how he would act.

We reached the mirror, but it was closed. Rebecca stuttered, "The the maids they probably closed it. They they a are scared of him."

"How do we get out," I questioned her. The panic was rising. Footsteps were approaching at a scary pace.

Rebecca closed her eyes, "I don't know. We're going to die. Oh my god we're going to die!" A single tear rolled down her cheek.

"We are not going to die!" I screamed and slammed my fist against the mirror. It slowly slid open. Rebecca sprinted through as soon as there was enough of an opening.

I quickly slipped out after her. For a second, I looked back. The phantom came around the corner and stopped. He looked right at me. I stood, frozen. He took a step forward, towards me.

My feet did what my brain couldn't quite seem to process. Run.

I ran out of that room, back the way we had come, down the stairs, and right into Jeremy.

"Where were you?" he asked worriedly.

For a minute I couldn't breathe. He waited for me to answer. "I I was with Rebecca."

Suddenly she popped up next to me from out of nowhere. "She needed a bathroom so I showed her to one of the nicer ones upstairs. We got kind of lost and then raced back," Rebecca finished with a very convincing smile. She was a heck of a liar!

Mr. Gibson came over and joined the group. "Young lady, where have you been?" he asked angrily.

Rebecca covered for me again, "She had to use the bathroom so I took her to one of the nicer ones upstairs. Really sir, it was my fault. I'm sorry."

Mr. Gibson didn't look like he was buying it. He went along with it anyway, "Okay, next time though let me know where you are Liz. I get worried when a student suddenly disappears."

"Okay Mr. Gibson. I'm sorry. It won't happen again," I flashed a reassuring smile. Jeremy didn't look to sure of our story either. Mr. Gibson departed while mumbling something about a problem child. I'm guessing that is me. It's always been one of my talents to attract trouble like a magnet.

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I know this one was a bit shorter. Sorry! I wrote one REALLY long chapter and decided to split it into two so the next one will be kinda short too. Thanks for reading! Please review! :)


	4. Singing

Jeremy slung an arm around my shoulder. "Rebecca, you're mom said she needs your help in the kitchen. They are making dinner for us or something. Liz, Mr. Gibson said everyone needs to stay in the theatre till then." He started to lead me away.

Rebecca stopped him, "Actually, I was hoping Liz could help me. There's a small dining hall and that's where you will all be eating tonight. My mom usually makes me set the tables. It would be a lot of help if Liz helped me." Her smile was so childish, Jer couldn't say no.

I followed Rebecca. "So is he like you're boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend? No way! I don't know why he put his arm over my shoulders like that. We're just really good friends," I said. Why did he do that? And what was he trying to tell me before Rebecca and I snuck off?

Rebecca didn't bring it up again. "So that was really creepy down there. Do you think he is still following us?"

I looked over my shoulder. Goosebumps broke out over my arms. There wasn't anyone behind us. I couldn't help but feeling watched. "I don't think so, but I can't help but feel like he is."

The worried expression returned to her childish face. "I hope he isn't. I knew he was alive though. It wasn't a dream! He really saved me! Oh, hey mom." We had entered a kitchen. Two maids and the tour guide were cooking a nice looking meal.

"Hey hon, can you set the tables? Who's your friend?" She looked at me with a smile.

Rebecca picked up some plates with napkins on them. "This is Liz. She is with the school. I was giving her some more background on the place. She's going to help me set the tables." Her mom nodded with a smile and went back to peeling potatoes.

We went into the dining hall. It wasn't huge, but it was certainly big. "This was where the crew ate their meals." She explained. "So you're school, you're from America?"

"Yeah we're here touring Europe." I looked at the decorated walls and high ceiling. This whole building was beautiful. I could just live in here.

"That's cool. Why did you want to come here so bad? Just for the phantom?" she asked.

"No," I said. "Definitely for the phantom, but also because this place just fascinates me. I want to be a singer when I grow up. I've heard the acoustics in the theatre are amazing." It was the truth. I dreamed of being on Broadway.

Rebecca put everything down and looked at me. "A singer," she said with a smile. "The acoustics in here are great to. Sing me something."

She waited, but instead of singing I continued setting the tables. We only had a few left. Finally I said, "I'm really not very good. I wouldn't want to embarrass myself."

Rebecca came over to me. "Come on just a little please? Do you know think of me from Hannibal?"

She flashed me a pair of puppy dog eyes. Then her lower lip started to tremble and stick out a little. "Okay, fine but only a little bit."

Rebecca smiled happily. I put everything down and took a deep breath. "_**Think of me. Think of me fondly, when we've said goodbye. Remember me once in a while; please promise me you'll try. When you find that once again…"**_ I was interrupted by the sound of clapping.

Rebecca and I turned every which way, looking for where it had come from. "Do you think?" she asked. She didn't need her to finish the thought. I knew exactly what she was thinking.

"No. No way."

"Where else did it come from? It's Erik. He likes you're singing."


	5. You, What?

I stood there. Just stood there. That couldn't have been the phantom clapping. It just couldn't have been. Everyone started coming into the dining hall and sitting down. Dinner was served. And still I stood there, contemplating.

It was just yesterday that I was starting to believe everyone when they told me the phantom was long dead. And now here I am. Standing here. I honestly don't know how long I stood there. Eventually Jeremy came over and led me to a chair.

"Are you okay Liz?" he asked.

I looked him dead in the eyes. "Yes, of course," I responded.

"Okay, you just looked out of it. You know, just standing there," he retorted.

What was going on with me? I should be happy that at least the phantom liked my singing. That means he probably didn't want to kill me. I should be feeling better. But I didn't. I felt antsy.

"I just need to eat." Jeremy put his hand on my shoulder and nodded knowingly when I said this. His hand rubbed my shoulder for a fraction of a second before it dropped back to his side.

We ate in silence until Rebecca joined us at our table. I hadn't noticed till now that we were sitting at a table all by ourselves. Jeremy looked agitated again. But why? Did he not like Rebecca?

"So are you excited, Liz?" Rebecca asked with a wide grin.

"For what?" I inquired.

Rebecca's jaw dropped a little. "You haven't heard yet? My mom is taking everyone up to the roof after dinner. Where Raoul first proclaimed his love for Christine," she said.

We were going up on the roof! The phantom had once overheard Raoul singing with Christine up there. It had broken his heart. Poor guy.

"You don't believe all that crap to, do you?" Jer asked Rebecca.

"Of course I do! It all happened!" She practically yelled.

"I believe it to. You know that," I said.

Jeremy looked very annoyed. He stood up. "I've went along with this for long enough. You can believe in your little fairy tale all you want. It's not real! He isn't real Liz! Even if he was, he'd be long dead!" Jeremy walked away angrily. Why was he so mad?

Rebecca and I sat there for a moment. We were quiet. Finally I stood. "I gotta go talk to him. Calm him down."

"Okay he is probably in the dancer's quarters where you all will be sleeping tonight." She proceeded to give me directions.

I thanked her and then went after Jeremy. The hallways were very quiet. I had only fifteen minutes to find him, talk to him, and get back in time for the trip up to the roof.

Turning another corner, I felt goose bumps rising on my arms. The hair on the back of my neck began to stand up. A voice was whispering. I couldn't tell where it was coming from. I turned, but there was no one there. My feet began to hurry.

The door to the dancer's quarters was right in front of me. I grabbed the handle, when the voice whispered again. "_**Come to the angel of music.**_" A shiver raced up my spine. That singing chilled me to the bone.

I opened the door and slipped into the room without looking back. Just in case, I locked the door behind me. Rebecca was right, Jer was sitting on one of the little beds. He was crying. What was wrong with him lately? He was so emotional.

Jeremy looked up at the sound of my approaching footsteps. I sat next to him and put a small hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?" I asked.

His voice was quiet at first, but grew as he talked, "I don't know. Actually, I do know. All you ever talk about is the phantom. It was cute at first, but you're obsessed Liz. I just sometimes wish you would pay that much attention to me." A small tear slipped down his cheek.

"Jeremy, how could you say that? We are always together! We spend every waking moment together. I give you tons more attention than some stupid opera ghost," I whispered.

Jeremy looked up at me. "It's not the right kind of attention though. We've been best friends since the first grade! How can you not see it? You're so blind!"

He stood up and looked down at me, waiting for me to figure it out. But what exactly was I supposed to figure out? "I don't… What… Will you just tell me, because I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" I hoped the desperation shone through in my eyes.

Jeremy looked away and said, "Lizzie, I'm in love with you." He didn't look back at me at all. I shut my eyes for a moment as I heard the door open and close. What was happening? He loved me? How? We were just friends! But apparently we were more in his eyes. This was all so confusing. How could this be happening to me?

I lay back on the bed. My eyes shut again. The voice was there again, singing quietly. "_**I am the angel of music.**_"

My eyes shot open and I sat up abruptly. He was here. That had to be his voice. The phantom was real, I couldn't have imagined what had happened earlier. And this voice now. It was all real. I knew it.

I got to my feet. There wasn't anyone else in the room, I made sure of it.

Rebecca burst into the room. "Hurry! We're going to the roof now!" she grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the room. We were practically running back to the dining hall.

We reached the dining hall in record time. Rebecca went right in. I looked back in time to see the end of what appeared to be a cape disappearing around a corner. My arm was grabbed once again as Rebecca pulled me into the room.

On the way up to the roof, my thoughts got all jumbled. The phantom was definitely real. He even seemed to be following me for some reason. Jeremy was in love with me. What was I going to do? I felt obligated to talk to him, but what would I say? I felt more intrigued in finding the phantom again. I needed to make sure I wasn't insane. Jeremy seemed to think I was. He said I was obsessed. The sad part was I knew I was. The phantom completely dominated my thoughts pretty much all of the time. It was weird.

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Okay so that was the new chapter! I hope you all enjoyed! I had to write and rewrite this one a couple times, because it never felt quite right. I think it ended up pretty good though:) I wanna give a shout out to the very awesome people who have been reviewing! Thank you Xandrea, Sparkle Princess, andimpink, Phantom-of-the-Opera-Phan, PhantomFan01, ThePhantomismyLove, and a very special thanks to Angel 13 for you're very helpful rambling:) You gave me some new ideas. I'm still not sure exactly where this is going, but I'm definitely going to completely explain the curse in an upcoming chapter. Actually the phantom will help me out there;) So please keep reading and reviewing!


	6. Past The Point Of No Return

"I saw him! I swear it, I saw him!" I exclaimed. Did I truly see him, or was it a figment of my imagination? I think it was him; maybe I even subconsciously want it to be.

Rebecca was practically jumping up and down. "Really? Did you see his face? They say it is absolutely horrid!"

I hadn't really seen him at all. Does the tail end of a tailcoat even count as seeing someone? "No, I barely even saw him, but I'm certain it was him!"

We were heading up an old spiral staircase. Rebecca's mom was going to show us the roof where Raoul and Christine broke Eric's heart. When we stepped through the roof door, I was amazed. The roof was huge, bordered by detailed statues, and covered in two inches of pure white snow.

The group walked to the other end of the roof. However, I stayed behind to think. The night air cleared my head a bit. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jeremy. He was lingering behind, probably wanting to talk to me. I didn't want to talk to him though. Everything was so awkward now.

I realized that the group had gone back inside, Jeremy too. They left me behind, again. It seems to happen a lot lately. I went over by a statue and sat down in the cold, wet snow. What was going on lately? Everything has become so messed up since we got to the Opera Populaire. Maybe this place was cursed and now so was I.

Very quietly, I heard a whisper behind me. I turned and saw nothing at all. Someone was here with me though, I could feel it. The temperature seemed to drop at that moment and goose bumps appeared on my arms.

I got up and walked around to the other side of the roof. Behind another statue, I could see the end of a tailcoat. That was when he stepped out. Eric Destler was standing in front of me. He was wearing a suit, an old fancy looking suit, with a long cape.

For a moment I just kind of stared at him. Then he took a step forward, slowly as not to scare me. My mind told me to step back, to run away even. But, strangely, my heart told me to stay. There was something about him that was intriguing and hypnotizing.

I took a step forward. There was maybe five feet between us now. Shockingly, Eric took a step back. What was he doing now? I took another step forward. Under the mask, I swore I saw a slight grin play on his lips. It was like we were playing a silent game with our steps.

Eric turned and took three steps towards the door before stopping to look back at me. Without thinking about all the possible outcomes and consequences of what I was about to do, I stepped three times toward him. This time, I definitely saw him smile.

He went through the door and started down the spiral staircase. I followed him all the way down, staying only five or six steps behind him the whole way.

At the bottom, Eric started down a dark hallway. It was then that I stopped to think. What if he was trying to like I don't know kidnap me? He couldn't really kidnap me if I was willing. So I should turn and walk the other way. Right? But I couldn't. I wanted to follow him. I _**needed **_to follow him.

He led me to Christine's old room, to the mirror. It opened and we entered the hallway that Rebecca and I had explored only hours before. This time all of the torches were lit. Even with the extra light I managed to trip over my feet three times. Eric didn't say a thing the whole way.

The hallway opened up onto the extravagant stone staircase from earlier. Eric started down it, but I stopped. I hadn't been any further than this. What was down there even? There could be mice! Only I could be most concerned about a mouse in a time like this.

The questioned loomed. Do I follow or turn and run? I turned to go back, but I heard a voice behind me and a cold hand on my shoulder. "_**Past the point of no return."**_

I turned back around. He slid his hand from my shoulder down to grab my hand and lead me down the steps. "_**No going back now."**_ We made our way slowly down the stairs. All fear left me as his voice lulled me further and further.

At the bottom of the stairs was a lake. It looked cool and calm. I had the sudden urge to take off my shoes and dip my feet in the water. Everything here seemed so peaceful and surreal.

However, I didn't get a chance to as I was ushered into a very old looking boat. It was only made for two people. I feared that it would sink at any moment, considering that it was like three hundred years old. But it didn't.

The lake was more of an artificial river, I realized that now. On each side rose a large stone wall. The river seemed to go on and on.

"_**Past the point of no return,"**_ he sang quietly. We were nearing a gate, spanning the whole width of the lake and going up into the ceiling. It started to rise, beckoning our assumedly unsafe little boat through.

I was completely and utterly under his spell at this point. His eyes seemed dark, as dark as I would expect hell to be. Even the black orbs of eyes were intriguing. I stared into them, singing along, _**"No backward glances."**_

And that was when the boat came to a halt…

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Sorry it has been so long. School started and im always busy now. I'm gonna work really hard to keep updating though! Thanks for sticking with me:) Leave a review please.


	7. Music Of The Night

Eric led me down to his lair. To be truthful, I was actually a bit scared of what I might find down there. He helped me out of the boat. It was absolutely beautiful. The walls were composed of very old looking stone. There were candles, statues, and of course a huge grand piano. It was covered it sheets of music.

I picked one up and started to sing a little bit. However, Eric approached and took it from me, tossing it to the floor. _**"Night time sharpens, heightens each stirs and wakes imagination. Silently the senses abandon their defenses."**_ He took my hand and led me up three little stairs. His voice was intoxicating. I wanted to follow him and listen forever. We sat down on the piano bench, where he continued his song.

_**"Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendor. Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender. Turn your face away from the garish light of day. Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light. And listen to the music of the night."**_ Every single word sent a shiver down my spine. The piano was accompanying his voice now. It was played with such ease, as if he had been playing for hundreds of years. Oh wait..

_**"Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams. Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before. Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar. And you live as you've never lived before."**_ The phantom suddenly took my hands in his. He looked at them, almost longingly. He looked into my eyes. Eric had the most beautiful blue eyes under that mask of his. He led my hand to the piano. I tried to play a few keys, before his hands were over mine, showing me how to play and willing me to go on.

Throughout my obsession with his tragic story, I had learned a couple songs that were found in his lair after the accident, supposedly. This was one of them. Before he had the chance, I jumped into the next verse._** "Softly, deftly, music shall caress you. Hear it, feel it secretly possess you. Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind. In this darkness that you know you cannot fight. The darkness of the music of the night." **_

At first, the phantom looked a bit shocked that I knew the song. Then he grabbed my hand and pretty much moved my hands for me. The music was sweeter and more complicated now. His hands on mine felt so nice. I paused before continuing to sing. He looked at me and smiled. "_**Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world,**_" Eric's sweet voice joined me suddenly. "_**Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be. Only then can you belong to me."**_

Eric stopped playing and stood from the bench quickly. I stood as well, not sure of what was happening now. He took my hand once again, kissing it sweetly. His voice soared. "_**Floating, falling, sweet intoxication. Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation**_," Eric's hand led mine up to his chest. Then it went to my face. My hand was on his heart, while his one gently cupping my chin. His voice was now completely raw emotion. "_**Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in. To the power of the music that I write. The power of the music of the night."**_

I couldn't take it anymore. I moved my hands slowly up his chest. Confusion shone clearly in his eyes. Why though? How could Christine have ever hurt him? He was so perfect and wrote all this music for her. He was her teacher and honestly loved her!

I sang the last part as my hands went over his shoulders to meet up along his muscled back. "_**You alone can make my song take flight. Help me make the music of the night.**_" Eric's free hand moved a lock of hair behind my ear. I leaned in close and kissed the cheek that the mask left exposed. Then, I turned and returned to the piano bench. He joined me in only a moment.

"Eric? Eric Destler? Is it truly you?" I whispered hopefully.

His hand instinctively touched the mask, as if he was making sure it was still there. "How do you know who I am?"

"I've heard the stories. Noone really believes that there is truly an opera ghost, but I do. Just tell me it's really you," my hand went up to his mask. My head tipped to the side slightly as I looked questioningly into those deep blue eyes. "Show me, that it is truly you."

Eric looked away for a second. His hand was over mine on his mask. He gently and slowly lifted it from his face, tossing it to the side. "Are you going to run now? Like all the others?" The phantom's eyes were closed. A single tear slid down his face.

I took his hand and squeezed it gently. "Never. I could never ever dream of it," Eric looked up. There was hope in those puppy like eyes. They looked like they hadn't seen hope in a very long time. "Let me remind you that I'm the one who found you," I smiled brightly at him.

His hand squeezed mine just the tiniest bit. "You're not going to run? You're staying? Aren't you scared?"

"No, I'm not. Yeah, so what if you killed a bunch of people a long time ago. Everyone deserves a second chance. Right?"

He nodded his head quickly, before standing from the stool. My hand was still in his as he leaned in and kissed my forehead ever so gently. "God has sent me an angel at last," he breathed.

I blushed deeply. I was no angel, but he seemed to think I was. This, here was so great. I wished I could never leave. However, it was imperative that I ask the one question that had been burning in my mind for years. "Shoosh that silly talk and tell me something honestly," I paused. Eric returned to his seat beside me and gave a short nod. "How are you still alive?" I asked.

And then Eric began his story...

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Another chapter:) im pretty proud of this one. I wanted to incorporate a whole song from the soundtrack since i havent done that yet:) next we will all learn his whole story;) leave a review please!:D


	8. Cursed

I am aware that there was an issue last night. I did upload this into my doc manager but accidently labeled it as seven instead of eight. Somehow it deleted this text in entirety and uploaded the last chapter again:( The problem has been solved though:) So here is the correct chapter eight. I've been working on it for a while now!:) Enjoy & leave a review:D

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1919

She was gone! Christine had left me for Raoul, that pretty, rich boy! It was my face, I know it was!

I stormed through a secret passage and came out upon the dark, dingy Paris streets. There was no one there, or so I thought. Rain began to fall upon me. I screamed at the sky, but I knew no answer was to come.

Raoul should have killed me! It would have been kinder than leaving me to live in my grief. I began picking things in the alley up and throwing them. A big garbage can full to the top flew a good twenty feet, landing in a shadowed area further down the alley. When the can hit, I heard a shocked yelp.

A woman suddenly stood from the shadows. She was covered in a dark cloak and walked with her back hunched. I assumed that she was considerably older than me. "Why do you just stand there? Run! Hide! Fear this hideous monster!" I screamed at her.

"What angers you, kind sir?" a sweet, seemingly caring voice asked. The lady's face was covered by the hood of her cloak, which hung over her eyes and left the rest of her face in shadow.

Why did she even ask? It's not like she actually cared! No one cared about me or my problems! I was the foul opera ghost! "The love of my life left me, because of my dreaded face," I announced quite quietly. I don't know why I told her. She seemed to care about what I had to say, but I knew it was a false pretense; it had to be.

The old woman stepped closer and whispered into my ear, "Maybe it isn't your face she despises."

How dare she? This lady who doesn't even know me dares insinuate the fact that Christine fears or even hates me for reasons beyond my face? This thought angered me almost as much as the fact that Christine had left. "Do you really mean to say she hates more than my face?" I breathed.

"Maybe I do, maybe I do not," was her retort.

I ripped the hood back from her face quickly. What I saw was not at all what I had expected to see. Rather than an old, haggard looking woman, I was now face to face with a young, fair skinned, golden haired, and very beautiful young lady. "Who are you?" I questioned.

For a moment, she just stood there staring at me. I felt like she wasn't looking at me but in me. A shiver raced down my spine. "Does it even matter?"

I grabbed her by the throat. It was a light grip, but enough to let her know that I meant business. Suddenly, though, my hand dropped to my side. Maybe this was why Christine had left me. Could it have been my temper? In that moment I wanted to race off and find her. I needed to tell Christine that I could change. First, I needed to know who this girl was. In hurried words I asked once again, "Who are you?"

She tilted her head very slightly to the side, still looking 'in' me when she answered, "If you really must know, I am Frederique. I am the judger of men."

This Frederique lady was out of her mind! "Judger of men, huh? Well then judge me! Tell me just how horrid I truly am!"

Frederique stepped closer and put a small, cold hand upon my detested face. Her thumb traced my cheekbone. What was happening? "I shall not show you, but I shall show you," Frederique turned and began to walk away.

"Stop!" I yelled.

She turned to look at me questioningly, "What do you want, foul beast?"

I was now angered a hundred times more! Fowl beast? This woman didn't even know me! "What do you mean you'll show me?"

"You think that no one will ever love you, solely due to your face. I curse you to live with that face until you get someone to love you unconditionally, with the face. When this is accomplished, I shall come to you and heal your face. Then, you may live the rest of your natural life. Good luck."

Frederique turned. Suddenly, her cloak fell to the ground. She was gone. She had just disappeared into thin air.

2012

"From that day on, I lived, unchanging. I never aged a bit, and was stuck with this face. I've tried time after time to find a girl and make her love me. It doesn't work. It never has. Eventually, I just gave up."

Eric stood and turned around, facing away from me. "No one will ever love me. I am doomed," there was a falter in his voice. Was he crying? "I've tried killing myself. It doesn't work! I always wake up minutes later."

He turned to face me. It was obvious by his puffy, red eyes that he was actually crying. I stood up and stepped up to him. Eric looked completely broken. My hands rested lightly on his cheeks. I tried to make him look at me, but he resisted.

Finally, I stood on my tip toes and craned my neck for eye contact. He could see I was really trying and gave in, looking down at me. Eric's whispered softly, "You know everything. You are the only one." His breath made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

"Eric, you are not doomed! You have a beautiful, strange soul. Someday your curse will be broken," I told him.

He backed away from me. "No, it won't. You know why? Because no one could ever love me!" he was almost yelling. The agony was clear on his face.

"They could. I could…


	9. Wordless Answers

"No you couldn't," Erik said. "No one ever could!"

Why had I even said that? Did I mean it? How could I ever love Eric? Jeremy, I loved Jeremy. "Someone could, I could," my voice faltered.

Eric started to say something, but was cut off. "Liz, Lizzie, are you down there?" It was Rebecca. She was looking for me.

"You'd better go. Go on and be happy with that idiot boy, Jeremy," Eric said. He turned and went back to his piano.

Should I go? I couldn't just leave him after he told me his story. It would seem apathetic of me.

In the end, I decided to go, slipping silently away. Rebecca was standing worriedly at the top of the stairs. "Where have you been?" she asked.

"With him," my voice drifted off.

"What? You were with Eric? What did he say? Did you see his face?" Rebecca was gushing with questions.

"Let's talk about this elsewhere," I suggested.

We headed back upstairs. Everyone was asleep, but Rebecca and I snuck into the kitchen. She opened up the fridge and peered inside disappointedly, "You can have whatever you want. I'm not really hungry. Not for anything in here anyway."

I ended up with a jar of pickles, a package of pepperoni, and chicken nuggets. So nutritional.

We sat at a table near the kitchen door. "So what happened? I want details," Rebecca was nearly bouncing with excitement.

I told her almost everything, save Eric's story. I felt that that was private. She was a good listener, never interrupting and always looking either astonished or amazed. My own story kind of shocked me. Had I really done that?

"You said that?" Rebecca gasped.

"Yeah, I don't know what came over me. I think I meant it," my voice drifted off.

Did I truly mean it? Jeremy and I had been best friends for years. Maybe I felt more for him, but it didn't compare to the way Eric made me feel when I was around him.

Jeremy. Where was he? "Have you seen Jer?" I asked.

"Yeah he went to sleep with everyone else, but I think I heard him sneak out a little while ago. He probably went up to the roof. That's where I go when I need to think. Are you going to go talk to him?" she asked. I didn't want to talk to him. However, for his sake and mine, it was necessary.

I nodded and turned to head for the roof. Rebecca grabbed my arm. "Please be careful, Liz. I know you feel confused right now, but you need to sort it out for yourself. Don't let others cloud your judgment."

"I will," I answered. My path to the roof was easy and didn't include anymore run-ins with the famed opera ghost.

Jeremy was sitting near the edge of the roof. His head was resting on one of the elaborately carved statues. He looked back at the sound of my approaching footsteps and smiled gently. "Hey Liz," his voice was broken, as if he'd been crying.

I sat beside him and rested my head lightly against his upper arm. When standing, Jeremy towered a good eight inches above me. I asked, "What are you doing out here, in the freezing cold? I knew you were insane, but this is a little much!" I fake shivered. That got a laugh from him, which in return got a giggle from me.

Jeremy slid his jacket off and hung it on my shoulders. I gratefully snuggled up in it. He smiled at me, "It's not too bad. The cold is good for thinking."

"So what are you thinking about?" I wasn't sure if I actually wanted to hear the answer.

It seemed like he was hesitant to answer. Jeremy finally started slowly, "I'm sorry if I shocked you earlier. I didn't mean to be mean or forward, but it was killing me. I'd been trying to tell you all day. If you don't like me, just tell me now."

I didn't know what to say. Should I just tell him now and go running back to Eric? What if I did love Jeremy, though? This was too much to think about.

Even if I did love Jer, he didn't thrill me like Eric did. Yeah he was a gentleman, but I needed someone I could express my crazy ideas with. I needed someone I could sing with…

"Jeremy," I paused. The words just weren't to be found. We sat in silence for a moment.

Finally Jeremy stood. "I get it, you don't like me. I'm not going to let this affect our friendship though." He turned to leave. When he got to the door, Jer turned around and asked me one last thing, "Are you in love with that stupid phantom?

"Yes," my words rung out. I heard the roof door open and close.

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So I've been working on perfecting this one for a little while. I hope you guys enjoyed! Please leave a review!:D


	10. All I Ask Of You

I was tired beyond comprehension, but I needed to see Erik. I needed to tell him what I had done. Would he be happy? Hopefully!

My feet moved slower and slower down the never ending stairs. My eyelids grew heavy, but I trudged on. I just needed to tell him that I had chosen him over Jeremy. Then I could finally sleep.

At the bottom of the stairs, I reached a dilemma. The boat wasn't there. The thought of dipping my feet in the water returned. I took off my shoes and socks and dipped my toes in the water. It was surprisingly warm. However, swimming and dipping your feet were two completely different things. Swimming was definitely out! But how to reach Erik without the boat?

I sat with my back against the wall, thinking. There had to be a sensible way of going about this. The more I thought about it, the more I just wanted to be there already. Suddenly, the phantom stood looking down at me.

He took me back to his lair, via the missing boat. There he held me as I fell asleep in a giant bed. Or was this part of the dream I had that night? In my dream, I was with Erik. We sang, wrote music, and joked merrily. That was all I wanted. Unfortunately, it was all a dream.

I woke up in the giant bed from my dream, or perhaps that part had been real. Who knew? The bed had red sheets, which reminded me of blood. I stood slowly. The sound of a piano drifted in. I followed the sound.

Erik sat at his piano, which was to be expected. He loved that piano. I could understand why. Singing was my way out of reality, the same went for him. Erik, however also lost himself in his piano. I lacked talent at that. He was also a mastermind composer. I had seen some of his work when last I was down here and it was amazing. I would love to try and sing some of it.

"Good morning Lizzie," his voice was almost monotone. But why?

"Good morning," I said with a bright smile. He stopped playing and motioned for me to sit beside him.

"What are you doing back here?" he asked. Well at least he didn't waste any time getting to his point.

"I came back for you." Curiosity shone in his eyes. Curiosity and hope.

"Why? What about Jeremy?" he asked.

I scooted closer to him on the small piano bench. "Well, I assumed you watched since you usually do. Anyway, I told him the truth. I told him I didn't want to be with him."

"So who do you want to be with?" Erik asked me.

There was no longer any hint of doubt in my mind. My heart was set and there was no going back. "You, of course! Why else would I stumble my way down here in the darkness half asleep?"

Erik smiled great big. It was a cute smile, showing all of his white teeth. I wondered what it would be like to kiss him again. My wondering didn't last too long, because he leaned in and kissed me on the lips. He pulled away quickly.

It was cute the way he didn't want to push it and scare me away. What he didn't realize was that it would be pretty darn hard to scare me away at this point.

"Play me a song," I said. Erik turned to the piano and rested his hands lightly on the keys for a moment. Then he broke into a beautiful song.

Soon Erik's voice accompanied the beautiful melody. "Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Let me lead you from your solitude. Say you need me with you here, beside you. Anywhere you go, let me go too. Lizzie, that's all I ask of you."

The keys continued to ring out, but Erik's voice had faded. Again, he was trying to be cautionary. He didn't want to be to forward to quickly and scare me off. That was probably still a habit from hundreds of years ago when most men were still gentlemen.

To replace his lost voice, I let mine fill the silence, "Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Say the word and I will follow you."

A smile played across his lips once again. I knew that my words had made him happy. He realized now that I was serious about staying.

His voice boomed, filling all of the underground hallways, "Share each day with me, each night, each morning."

"Say you love me," I sang.

"You know I do," came his response.

With that, our voices met for one final verse, "Anywhere you go, let me go too. Love me, that's all I ask of you," our voices faded. The echoes could be heard somewhere behind us. I didn't bother with echoes though. I wanted to kiss him again, but I didn't want him to pull away this time.

Our lips touched again. His arms were around my waist and mine found their way around his neck. It was a passionate, yet innocent kiss. It felt so right to be in his arms. I never wanted to leave.

"So you'll stay? You really will?" he asked.

"Of course," I exclaimed.

"Say you love me, please," Erik begged.

I opened my mouth to say those three tender words, but didn't quite get them out. A splashing interrupted me. It wasn't a soft splashing though, like one person would cause. The sound indicated a couple of people sloshing through the water, headed our way.

"Now who could that be?" he wondered aloud.

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Aha! They kissed! :D I bet you all thought she was going to say i love you and the curse would be broken huh? Oh no! Couldn't let it be that easy for them, as mean as that sounds:P Well theres chapter 10! Leave a review and let me know how it was:D


	11. Goodbye Paris

Mr. Gibson, the tour guide, Rebecca, and a few policemen were coming towards us. "Lizzie, is that you?" Mr. Gibson called out.

I turned to Eric, "Is there a back way out of here?"

"Yes, come with me!" he responded.

"I can't, they're looking for me! I can get them to leave you alone, but I'm going to have to go with them. Please go, disappear."

Tears rolled down his cheeks. "Lizzie, you can't do this to me! Don't leave me! Don't be another Christine!"

That really hit home, but they were getting closer and I needed him to leave me. "Please Eric leave! I'll come back someday! I promise you!" With that I kissed him once again. I didn't drag it out to long though. The police were getting closer. "Go," I whispered.

Eric slipped around a corner and was gone. Mr. Gibson, the tour guide, Rebecca, and three or four police men stepped up the stone stairs. I still sat at the piano bench, crying. "Lizz, where have you been," Mr. Gibson demanded.

"I was just wondering and got lost," I said innocently. The tears had stopped and I tried to pretend it had never happened.

"There was a man with you, we saw him," one of the police officers said.

"Nope, just me," I replied dryly.

"We saw him!" the now angry police man said. "He was trespassing so tell us where he went!"

"Yeah right." I retorted.

Mr. Gibson gave me a very angry look, "You left the group in the middle of the night, have been getting in trouble this whole trip, and now you're giving us attitude? I expected more of you young lady. I will be purchasing a plane ticket and sending you home early as soon as I contact your parents."

A plane ticket? No! I couldn't go home! I needed to stay with Eric!

Mr. Gibson grabbed my arm and lead me into the water towards the huge stone staircase. I looked back pleadingly at Rebecca. Who was I kidding? She couldn't help me. I had to get myself out of this mess.

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An hour later a bus was waiting outside. Everyone was getting on it to head to Southern France and eventually Italy. However, the bus was planning a pit stop to drop me off at the nearest airport. I was going home.

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**Eric's POV**

I paced in front of the piano. She was gone. They had taken my love. I needed to get her back! Lizz loved me!

I ran upstairs, taking a secret passage that only I knew about. It wasn't that hard to find Rebecca. She was in her room. The same room where I had saved her from a robber several years back. "Rebecca," I said.

She jumped at the unexpected sound of my voice. "Uh uh what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm going after Lizzie. Has she left yet?" I asked hurriedly.

"She was boarding a bus last I checked. They're taking her to an airport and sending her back to America. You better hurry!" she said. I ran from the room, not caring if anyone saw me. The front doors loomed ahead of me, seeming too far away. I heard an engine start. As I pushed through the doors I saw the tail end of the bus speeding away.

Rebecca ran up behind me, out of breath. "Can you steal a car or something?" she asked.

I looked at her seriously. "Do I look like I know how to drive? This is impossible!"

"No it's not!" Rebecca screamed at me. "True love trumps all! It always works that way!" Her hands were on my shoulders, shaking me roughly.

"This isn't a book, kid!" I stood there crying for a moment. This couldn't be it!

Rebecca cocked her head to the side. "Wow," she whispered. It was more to herself than anything, but I knew that she meant for me to hear her.

"What?" I asked.

"Oh nothing," Rebecca said.

"Tell me," I said, raising my voice.

"It's just that you're the big bad phantom of the opera yet you're gonna let them get away with your girl."

She was right! I was the phantom of the opera! I'd killed people for less! I was in love with Lizzie and determined to have her back in my arms. "What time does her flight leave," I asked.

"Half an hour."

"We'll never make it on foot. It's ten miles!" I exclaimed.

"Who said anything about travelling on foot," Rebecca giggled.

She led me around to the back of the opera house. A shiny black car sat there. "It's my moms. I'm sure she won't care if we borrow it!" she winked at me.

"But I told you I don't know how to drive."

"I've watched my mom do it plenty of times. Get in. I'll figure it out."

This was not a good idea. I was letting a fifteen year old who didn't know how to drive and certainly didn't have a permit drive me to a busy airport. I could see the headlines now. 'Famous Phantom of the Opera Dies in Car Crash'

"You might wanna try and look somewhat normal. Security might stop you the way you look now. It seems kind of suspicious you know." Rebecca said.

I lost the top hat and cape, but I wasn't giving up the mask.

"Okay you look pretty normal. Suits are acceptable. The mask has to go, though," she added.

"No," I said simply. Not happening. People would stare at me. Memories started flooding my mind. It hurt too much to remember so I tried to focus on the future as we sped down the road.

"Look," Rebecca said, "I've got some make up in my bag in the back. I'll fix you up so that it isn't as noticeable, okay?"

I nodded, "Maybe."

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Hurray! Eric's going to save her! Maybe... mwahaha well i got a comment tellin me i use to many cliff hangers. im sorry if you feel the same way but i just love them. I tried to make this ending kind of not exciting if that is possible:P I'm planning on two three maybe four more chapters lol. who knows maybe ill end up having ten more. It just depends on how it goes. Please leave a review:D thanks for reading!


	12. Bad Timing

**Erik's POV**

I peered into the glass before me. My face looked nearly perfect. Rebecca had done a marvelous job, covering up all of the deformities.

I pushed open the door carefully, as if it would break with one touch. There was no need to draw any attention to myself. I stepped into the airport. No one stopped to look at me. No one gaped, screamed, or ran. People just went along with their business.

I made my way to the information desk. "Um, hi," I said, testing my voice.

"Hi, how can I help you today?" the young lady asked in a chipper voice. She was a young white woman with brown curly hair. The pin on her shirt said Julia.  
Erik cleared his voice. "My sister was going to board a plane to the United States. I didn't get to say goodbye and was wondering if the plane still happened to be here."

Julia typed a little on her keyboard then looked back up with a smile. "There is one leaving for Chicago in about five minutes. If you head that way," she pointed, "you should be able to catch it in time. It's going to be boarding area A22."

"Thank you," I said quickly before turning and heading in the way she pointed me.

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**Lizzie's POV**

I sat in my seat, pondering what all had happened. In just two short days I'd fallen in love, broken my best friend's heart, and gotten myself shipped back home.

The flight attendant informed us that the plane would be leaving in five minutes. Only five minutes till I was on my way back to America. Without Erik! Impossible!

How could I let this happen? I needed to be with Erik! My heart begged me to stay.

At that moment, I made a choice that would change my entire life. For better or worse, I didn't really care. I got up and got my bag. Slowly, I made my way off of the plane and back into the chaotic airport.

The lady standing at the entrance to the plane stopped me. "Madam, the plane is leaving now. I'm going to need you to get back on the plane," she said.

"I'll be staying here," I said flatly. The lady gave me a strange look, but didn't stop me from walking away or even question me more. I made my way as quickly as I could to the nearest bathroom. The crowd was suffocatingly thick and it chilled me to the core. Who were all of these people? What kind of lives did they lead?

Between my fear of small spaces and the weight of such a life altering decision, I couldn't take it. I burst into a small bathroom with tears streaming down my face. My back was to a wall and I leaned my head against it. I slid down it till my butt hit the cold hard floor. My shaky legs drew close to my body and I wrapped my arms around them while resting my head on my knees. They seemed to be the only stable thing left in my life.

Would I see my parents again? They would surely be angry. Where was Erik? Was he thinking about me? There was so much uncertainty in my future now and I had my doubts. But this was my decision and I fully intended on sticking with it.

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**Erik's POV**

I raced through the airport, desperate to find Lizzie. Had she left already? I prayed that that wouldn't be the case.

When I reached boarding area A22, it was deserted. One lone woman stood by a door. I approached her fearfully, "Has the plane left yet?"

"Yes, sir," came her response. "Just about two minutes ago."

This couldn't be happening! I'd lost Lizz now too! She was gone. At first, my mind couldn't quite wrap its way around the idea. She was gone. Gone.

I walked back through the airport like a zombie. How could all these people around me be moving so fast? Didn't they realize that it was all over? That I had lost my one true love? My feet shuffled along through the busy little ant farm. I didn't even care where I ended up, walking seemed to numb the pain. It was something to focus on.

A picture of Lizz came into my mind. Looking at her smile stung. It was a memory from that day in my dungeon when we sang and confessed our love. I didn't want to think about it, so I attempted to bury it deep within.

Eventually, I found myself outside. Sunshine drenched me. I fell to my knees right there on the sidewalk. People looked at me funny, but I hardly noticed. My sobs shook my entire frame. What was the use? Life was hopeless without her.

Rebecca eventually found me and drug me to the car. She drove the two of us back to the opera house in silence.

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**Lizzie's POV**

I sat in the bathroom, crying, for quite a while. Time was completely lost to me. Eventually, I knew I needed to leave.

I got to my feet and left. The airport was still bustling. People ran into me on either side as I made my way to the nearest exit. I paid them no attention.

Outside, I signaled for a taxi. I got into the first one that pulled up. "Where you headed, young lady?" the short, olive skinned driver asked me.

"The Opera Populaire please," I responded. My smile was confident. I was not.

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sorry this one took so long! I wanted it to be good. School has really been taking up all my time but i'm hoping to crank out some chapters over christmas break. I hope you liked this one:) also in the last chapter Erik had some concerns about dying in a wreck. I messed up there my apologies but im going to play it off as he can't die but he can still feel pain and getting into a car wreck would be painfull. Haha:) Leave me a review please:)


	13. A Shocking Discovery

I felt like I was finally home. One deep breath brought back a small rush of memories. Only two days, but it felt like a lifetime had passed.

The foyer looked exactly as I remembered. Only now there seemed to be a beckoning presence in the air. It was as if the opera house welcomed me. I belonged here. This was Erik's home. And mine.

Erik was probably down in his lair. What was he doing? Thinking of me? I hoped so! I wanted to go there now and be in his arms. I wanted to sit on the piano bench and sing verses of love for him.

_**Love. **_That was it. I loved him. I'd been about to tell him before Mr. Gibson drug me away from Erik's beautiful underworld. Did he know that I loved him?

"Erik Destler, I love you!" I screamed. My voice boomed in the grand foyer. I hoped that it could be heard throughout all of the tunnels. Erik needed to hear this!

A lady appeared at the other end of the foyer. She was young and beautiful with long, blonde hair. About her shoulder hung a long black cloak. The woman pulled the hood of her cloak over her head with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. With that she turned and was gone.

I didn't know who this woman was and I didn't really care. Only Erik mattered. Before I had reached the door to Christine's room a hand was on my shoulder. It wasn't the hand I wanted, but it was the one I expected.

Rebecca spun me around to face her, before pulling me into a tight embrace. "Lizzie, you're here!"

I nodded my head. She wore a confused expression on her face. "Why does this seem like such a shock to you?" I asked.

"Erik and I, we went to the airport. He was going to drag you off of the plane and beg you to stay. He came back zombified. Apparently, the plane had already left. You had already left. I guess not though. You're standing right here," her words drifted off. Rebecca reached out and poked me as if to make sure that I was real.

Erik went to the airport? He must have just missed me! "I got off of the plane just before it took off. I don't know how we missed each other. Where is he now?" I asked.

Rebecca suddenly looked worried, "Down in his lair as far as I know. He looked awful by the time we got back. Didn't say a word the whole way home."

"I'm going to go find him now," I said hurriedly.

"Do you want me to come with?" Rebecca asked.

"I'll be fine."

"What if he needs help though? What if he has hurt himself?"

I turned on her, undeserved venom in my voice, "He will be fine?" I felt remorse run through me as I turned to walk away. "I'm going to go down there and tell him that I love him, and that I stayed, snuck off of the airplane, to be with him. He will be fine. In fact, he'll be ecstatic when he sees me."

Then, I pushed Christine's door open. A draft of cold air hit me, sending shivers down my spine. The mirror was shut, but I opened it with ease.

No candles were lit in the tunnels. Therefore, I pulled my phone out and turned on the flashlight application. I could feel that Rebecca was following cautiously. It made me kind of mad, but I didn't say anything.

We walked quickly through the dark, twisting passageways. It was nothing like our last trip through here. Then, the walls had seemed scary and unknown. Now, they seemed gloomy and oppressive.

When I'd been standing in the foyer, the opera house seemed to be welcoming me. Now, they were sending me sad messages. Had something happened? If only walls could talk?

At the top of the stairs, I leaned over the side. I couldn't see anything at the bottom. There wasn't any light down there either. My feet fell into a familiar trot as I descended. Rebecca wasn't following anymore. It was kind of comforting to know that she was there if I needed her.

At the bottom of the stairs, I stopped. No sounds came from his lair. The boat was also gone. That didn't matter. I waded into the water. Nothing was going to stop me from finding him. As I doggy paddled through the water, disturbing thoughts started filling my head. I was swimming in murky water. Who knew what was under me? There could be dead bodies, fish, or even scarier things.

This only made me swim faster. Eventually I came to the wrought iron gate. It was already lifted. Maybe he was waiting for me.

Soaking wet, I walked up the half underwater step of stairs to his lair. There were only four steps, but in my wet clothes it felt like a lot more. I stood and scanned the desolate area. Nothing. I ran into the bedroom area. There on the bed, lay Erik. I rushed to his side.

"Oh, Erik! I came back for you! We can be together now!"

He didn't respond. "Erik?" That was when I noticed it. An empty pill bottle lay beside him on the bed. I ripped his mask off. "Erik!" I screamed desperately. His face was beautiful, absolutely flawless. Even the bald spots of hair were gone. Black silky hair now covered his head completely. How?

It hit me. When I screamed my proclamation of love, that lady showed up only moments after. It was that witch! The judger of men or whatever. Erik must've been released from his curse. That means…

_**He could die.**_

I put my ear to his chest, desperate to hear a heartbeat. Nothing.

I put a finger just under his nose, waiting to feel breath. None.

"Erik," I screamed again, but he didn't stir.

Tears began streaming down my face. I crawled up onto the bed and pulled his head onto my lap. I cradled his dead body. How could this be happening? It wasn't fair!

Who knows how long I sat there? I held his body and sobbed for what seems like hours.

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Guess what guys! I'm getting a netbook for Christmas! With that I'll be able to upload a lot faster! I'm sooo excited. I know this chapter was really sad, but the next one will be somewhat better. Its starting to approach the end, but not just yet;) I've still got a few surprises up my sleeve!:D


	14. Could It Be?

Eventually Rebecca found me. She gasped in horror at the very sight. I searched desperately for breath to explain, but the words wouldn't come.

"Lizzie, we have to go," she coaxed me calmly.

"No!" I screamed.

"You can't stay here forever!" she yelled back. There was a hurt look on her face. I didn't mean to be mean, but she was trying to drag me away from my dead love.

"What if he wakes up? What if he needs me?" I asked desperately.

Rebecca sunk to her knees next to me. I felt her hand resting lightly on my shoulder. "Lizzie, I know this is hard, but he is dead. He isn't going to wake up. Ever."

The tears came faster. Ever was such a permanent word. It burned in my mind. Her arms wrapped around me. They felt so safe and secure. I cried into her shoulder for a long time. I knew I had to leave. I had to do something. Scream. Shout. Anything would feel better than the tears streaming down my face.

Rebecca helped me to my feet. My legs were wobbly. With her help, I stumbled through the secret passage in Erik's bedroom. We silently slipped out from behind a painting. Rebecca led me down the giant staircase. Her mother stood in the foyer.

"You came back for him, didn't you?" she asked. I nodded tearfully. The young tour guide embraced me in a tight hug. Was this the same hug that Christine had once received from Madame Giry?

Rebecca whispered something into her mom's ear. Mrs. Giry looked saddened and I could guess what Rebecca had told her.

"Lizzie, darling, Erik only ever wanted to be loved. You don't even realize how extremely happy you made him."

Her words weren't comforting in even the slightest degree.

We headed into the kitchen. Rebecca sat me down on a bar stool. Her mother was making us some hot chocolate. Was this real?

The hot chocolate burned my tongue and comforted me even less. Neither Rebecca nor her mom knew what to say to me. Nothing could help.

What would happen to me? I'd gotten off my flight home to be with Erik. He was dead. More tears came. What would the school say when they realized I'd ran away. What would my parents say when I didn't come home. Would I stay in Paris. If I went home, how would I get there?

There was nowhere that I belonged. It dawned on me suddenly. Erik was gone and he was the only reason my existence made sense. Call me drastic but life wasn't worth it without him.

"I'm going to go use the restroom, I think," I said slowly. My feet touched the ground as I stood slowly. Rebecca and her mom both looked at me with worry etched into their simple features.

I moved slowly. My feet shuffled. This was my only option. Yes, I was going to kill myself.

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This chapter took a really long time to write. I apologize profusely! I couldn't decide how to do it though. It was a short one:/ Sorry guys! The next one should be up sooner. I'm not mean enough to actually have her kill herself! And someone else is coming back real soon!;) Just wait guys I promise it will get better!


	15. My Impending Doom

I'm really sorry guys! I know a lot of you are mad at me:( I am going to change this to a Romance/Tradgedy. I wanted to kind of give it a Romeo & Juliet spin. This chap starts off really sad. I tried to drag it out so that it would be epic and tearful. I'm sorry if it makes you sad:'( I cried writing it! Lol. The ending of the chapter is worth it! I promise! Don't give up on me, just press on! I love you guys:)

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Rebecca and her mother remained in the kitchen. I could hear them talking about me. Their voices created hushed and worried tones. Why did they have to be so nice to me? It would make leaving them a lot harder. I stood, leaning against the wall, outside of the kitchen.

After a few moments, the tears stopped falling. "Thank you," I mouthed silently. I dared not make a sound. Quickly, I headed out of the foyer and on to the bright street. This was the only thing I could think of. There were no guns in the opera house. All of the knives were in the kitchen, under four watchful eyes. No drugs or other means of self harm were in sight.

A huge semi truck turned onto the street and was heading toward the opera house. I closed my eyes and attempted to slow my breathing. I couldn't freak out and back out now. We would be together in another life. Yes. I just needed to keep thinking about that. We would be together again.

The truck came closer. It was going pretty fast, maybe fifty miles an hour. If I jumped out at the right moment, then the driver wouldn't have time to break. The truck would run me over and I would be dead within moments. It was worth it though.

Right?

The truck seemed to be gaining speed. This was fate. I knew that it was. I would be with Erik soon. We could share a strange happily ever after in some strange afterlife dimension. I needed to be with him.

The semi was only twenty yards away now. I could hear something behind me. It was the sound of footsteps. They stopped suddenly. Someone in the opera house saw me standing there. Did they know what horror I planned for myself? Not if they were just standing there.

Could it be? Was it Erik? Had he woken up? What if I was about to make the biggest mistake in my entire life? I couldn't kill myself if he was still alive!

I turned around quickly. It was only Rebecca. The opera house was set ten yards back from the street and even then the stairs up to it took up another ten yards. She couldn't reach me in time to stop me.

"Goodbye," I called. Rebecca could see it suddenly. It must have shown in my eyes. She could see the desperation and idiocy in my features.

"No!" she screamed. I saw her start down the stairs, taking them two at a time. At the bottom of them she looked to my left, horror in her eyes. The truck was close. She could see it now.

I could hear the tires tearing down the street. I could feel the rush of air preceding it. I saw Rebecca reach the bottom of the stairs and sprint towards me. My eyelids began to shut. Everything felt slow motion. As they closed, I saw the opera doors open and a larger figure dart out. The second figure moved much quicker than Rebecca had been able to, but still not quick enough.

I turned and jumped.

I felt something hit me, but not from the direction of the racing semi. This unknown force had come from the direction of the opera house.

I opened my eyes. I was midair. There were arms around me. Strong arms.

We hit the ground suddenly. But who was we? I rolled out of the arm's grasp. It was Erik! He lay beneath me on the asphalt, bleeding. There was a cut on his head where it had smacked the ground. "You're alive," I breathed, astounded.

Erik's eyes fluttered open at the sound of my voice. "I couldn't leave you, angel."

The whole world had stopped and for a brief, beautiful moment it was just the two of us. He propped himself up with one hand against the ground. Erik's lips touched mine ever so briefly.

Suddenly though, they pulled away. Erik stood suddenly and pulled me to my feet. "Let us go inside where it is safer," he suggested with a smile.

I nodded slightly. We made our way back across the road. The semi had swerved off of the road ten yards past where we stood. I didn't care to see what the driver was doing. All that mattered was that Erik was alive. My hand found it's way into his. Erik looked at me, smiled, then squeezed my hand. I couldn't even begin to hold back the smile that spread across my face. This was perfect.

Rebecca waited on the sidewalk for us, as if the road was paved with hot lava. "Oh my god! Lizzie, don't you ever ever do anything like that ever again!" she screamed at me. Her short little arms wrapped around me in an overly protective way. "I can't believe that you would ever be that stupid! Oh, I'm going to kill you as soon as my senses returns!"

Erik let go of my hand so that I could hug her back. He looked at me from the other side of Rebecca. "And just you wait until I come off this adrenaline rush. I am so upset with you, I can't even explain! But for now," he light pulled Rebecca off of me and hugged me himself. Erik whispered into my ear, "I'm just glad that we're both alive and together once again." His breathy words tickled my ear. I giggled into his long hair. It was soft against my cheek.

Erik let go of me after a very long moment. His face was perfect, as it had been earlier. We had a lot to talk about. But it could all wait.

The three of us started up the stairs. "Wait," I said. I'd forgotten the most important thing. The only thing I wanted to tell him. "I love you."

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I hope you guys aren't as mad at me now:) Leave a review:) Also, I told you I was going to start a Harry Potter fic. I did but then I took it down. I have now revamped it and reposted. I feel bad for writing fics with only fifteen chapters so I plan on my new Harry Potter one being epic. It's going to follow the entire storyline of all seven books. In the end, I want it to be somewhere between fifty and a hundred chapters. Check it out for me please:) Tell any friends who are Harry Potter fans to check it out:)


	16. Authors Note

Quick note guys, the story is **NOT OVER! **I'm planning at least two more chapters! I'm going to explain how he came back and stuff. If there is anything you want me to clear up let me know asap. I plan on starting the new chapter tonight. I'll put answers to any loose endings you want in it. Just leave a review on this chapter with things you want me to add or touch on. Thanks guys! I love you all:D


	17. So I Know That You're There

"So, what exactly happened to you? One moment you were dead and the next you saved my life. I may be wrong, but its not everyday that people tend to just magically come back to life," I said. Erik, Rebecca, Maya the tour guide, and I sat in the kitchen. I was starting to think that the kitchen was where everything happened.

Erik looked at me sweetly. My hands lay on the counter in defeat. He took one in his own and looked at it like it was something beautiful and special. It was only a hand though. I would never understand the way that his mind worked. We were two people from completely different worlds. The difference was easily made up for by love though. "The witch. She came back. Not only did your love save me from the curse, but from my own foolishness as well. Apparently she was sympathetic to my situation," he smiled. His hand lifted mine to his mouth. There, he planted a small kiss.

I felt a slight blush start in my cheeks. How could one be so impossibly sweet? "Why did you try and kill yourself, though?" I asked.

"I believed that I had lost you forever. It was too much to bear. All my life, I've only ever wanted to be loved. I find it and what happens? She disappears," his words were accompanied by a great deal of anguish in his eyes. Those beautiful eyes, how could anyone not love them?

"I'm here for you. I came back."

"And nearly left me again. Why did _**you **_try to kill yourself?" he asked.

I looked down at my feet. With rationality restored, I realized how brashly and ignorantly I had acted. Killing myself wasn't the answer. Erik had saved my life. I owed him big time. "I wanted to be with you no matter what it took. It seems stupid now, but at the time it made sense," I whispered.

Erik put a finger under my chin and lifted it gently so that I was looking at him. "I understand. I didn't just try, I actually killed myself."

"Did you go to some kind of afterlife?" Rebecca asked. I suddenly remembered that the other two were there. They'd been so quiet, letting Erik and I talk some things out.

It was an interesting question. I'd thought about it too. I looked to him and waited for his answer to come. He sighed deeply and said, "I don't really remember anything. It was all hazy and weird. There were bright lights and sounds. Nothing that I could make out though. Things were becoming clearer and clearer. Just as I felt that I was about to understand, I woke up."

"How did you know Lizzie was in trouble?" asked Maya. "Did you know she was back when you awoke? You came upstairs just in time."

"When I woke up," he turned to look at Maya. "The witch was still there. She told me that Lizzie had come back for me and that she was in danger. I asked what had happened to her. She said that Liz was about to be hit by a car. I couldn't get back upstairs fast enough. Thankfully, I made it just in time."

"I'm so thankful that you did. I'm so sorry for putting you through that," I said, ashamed of my actions once again.

Erik leaned in slowly and kissed me gently on the lips. "I care about you more than anything in this world. Just don't ever pull a stunt like that again, okay?"

I nodded. Rogue tears were slipping down my face then. I'd tried so desperately to control my emotions, but it just wasn't going to happen. I let go and just cried. Erik wrapped his arms around me. I buried my face into his shoulder and cried.

"You're probably really tired. You should go to sleep," Rebecca suggested.

"I can unlock one of the rooms for you," Maya chipped in.

"No, I'm not tired," I tryed. However, my own body turned against me. A huge yawn escaped my mouth.

Erik smiled and stood. He offered me his hand. I took it and he helped me down from the bar stool. I started to shuffle somewhere, not really sure where I was going. Suddenly, Erik scooped me up. Bridal style, he held me. "I'll take her downstairs. She can sleep in my bed until we get things figured out."

Maya and Rebecca exchanged a glance, but didn't say anything. I didn't agree, but I didn't disagree either.

We took the back way down stairs in order to avoid the boat and water. He carried me the entire way. In his bedroom, he set me down on the huge bed. I curled up under the blankets. Erik kissed my forehead and then moved to a slightly damaged and most likely stolled armoire. From inside he pulled a pillow and two blankets. He laid the first blanket down and put a pillow on it. Then, Erik layed down on the blanket and covered himself with the second one.

"Oh Erik," I said.

"What is it, dear?" he asked worriedly.

"Please don't sleep on the floor. It's cold and dirty."

Erik propped himself up on one shoulder and looked at me. He had on only an undershirt with his pants. It wasn't even a frilly old one, just a newish plain white t-shirt. He looked adorable. "Where would you like me to sleep," he pressed.

"With me," I whispered.

Erik closed his eyes for a moment. "Liz..."

"Just lay beside me, hold me. If I wake up in the middle of the night, I want to know that you're here."

Erik stood and obliged. He walked around to the other side of the bed and got in. I rolled over to look at him. Why was I so blessed?

He lay on his back. I rested my head on his chest and my arm across his stomach. His arm wrapped around my back and held me tight. I closed my eyes. This was so perfect.

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Chapter sixteen! I'm so proud of myself for making it so far:) I need to make a few shoutouts. Thank you to every fan who has read this and reviewed or just simply enjoyed it. A special thanks to PhantomWolf79, Stargazer1364, leahturner67, RaigingSpring, iiphantom007, and the guest who commented on the author's note. You guys have kept me going lately. The end is in sight. Sniff sniff:'( I don't want to see this one end, but it will. I'm planning two more chapters and a very **_unique_ **afterward;) Leave a review. I love hearing from you guys:D Also, can I get some votes on whether or not there should be a sequel of some sort?


	18. Home Again

"Mom, dad meet Erik," I said. My mom had been slow to release me from her embrace. They'd both been alerted that I had ran away somewhere in Paris. I had come home of my own accord with some money borrowed from Maya. Both of my parents had been shocked to see me on the front porch.

My father gaped. First of all, their little run away had showed up out of nowhere. Second, she informed them that she was suddenly engaged. I admit it was a lot. I kind of felt bad. My dad walked up to Erik. "So you want to marry my daughter?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. I love her," Erik replied. He looked stunning. We had hit up some local stores in Paris. Currently, he had on a pair of dark levis and a black button up shirt. His hair was slicked back like usual. I smiled at him. He was mine.

My father looked extremely skeptical. "I don't like you. I'm telling you that right now."

Erik's face dropped. I knew that this would happen. My dad hated everyone. There was never a boy that I brought home that my father couldn't find something wrong with. "Sir," Erik started. "I will do anything in my power to make you like me. I love your daughter and I only want to make her happy."

Dad looked him over. Erik was clean cut enough. I could read the look on my dad's face. He was about to grill Erik. "What do you do?"

"I just got accepted as an intern for The New York Times. I'm going to be a critic of the arts."

My dad looked slightly impressed. "How old are you?

"Twenty four."

"What month were you born?"

"October."

My dad made a face. "That makes you twenty four and a half."

Erik thought about it for a moment. This was true. "Yes, but I don't see where this is going."

"Twenty four I would be fine with my daughter marrying. Twenty four and a half is just a little too old for her," dad said with a wicked grin.

I sighed deeply. Mom came over and tugged on my arm a little. She walked away and I followed. We went into the kitchen. My mom shut the sliding doors so that they couldn't hear her. "He is HOTT!" she exclaimed.

"I know," I replied dreamily. "He is such a great guy."

"He seems like it. If you really love him, your father will except him. We're just so shocked with everything. You ran away sweetheart. Now you show up and just tell us that you're getting married. Its a lot to take in."

I sighed again. Why was I such a terrible kid? Couldn't I do anything right? My mom gave me another hug. "I love you mom."

"I love you too, baby."

Dad and Erik came in at that moment. My dad looked from my mom to me and back again. A look of disapproval came over him momentarily. Then, he smiled great big and announced, "You two have my condolences."

* * *

Later Erik and I stepped out for a minute. The night sky was dotted with stars. The air was cool and crisp. We stood on the deck. My hands were on the railing and his arm was around me. "Lizzie, thank you for everything."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He looked at me, "You've completely changed my life. One minute I'm a creepy ghost recluse and the next I'm in America about to wed the most beautiful girl in the world."

"How did you convince my dad?"

Erik smiled and kissed my hand. "I have a way with words. You should know that," he winked.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"All I had to do was sing, and you fell head over heels for me."

I hit him lightly in the chest and stuck out my tongue. He chuckled lightly. One week. One week and I would be Lizzie Destler. It was quick, but I couldn't wait.

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One chapter left! The wedding;) I'll have that special afterword after that so I guess two more chapters. Let me know what you guys think! Thanks for sticking with me:D


	19. A Joyous Day

My dress graced the foor. It was long, white,flowing, and adorned with sparkles on the bosom. The skirt was made of sheets of lace with a sheer fabric underneath. It was absolutely gorgeous. The whole town, as small as it was, was already talking about it. The dress had been ordered and shipped from Paris, where Rebecca had a friend.

My mother sat in a chair crying. I smiled warmly and patted her lightly on the arm, "It'll be okay." She'd been crying for some time now. When we ordered the cake. When we were sending out invitations. When I'd tryed on the dress.

"I feel like I'm losing my baby girl," she sobbed. My poor mother loved me so much. I felt bad for her. Would I go through this someday with a child of my own?

I sat in a chair beside her. "No you're not. I'll always be your baby girl. I'll always be there when you call." Mom smiled at me. There were about five nasty, wadded up kleenexes in her hand. If not for them, I would of hugged her.

She was still crying. How could she be so sad on my joyous day? My father walked in then, followed by Rebecca. "Is it okay to see my little girl before I give her away?" he asked with a smile. He was always one to lighten the mood. I loved my dad for that. He was the sort of dad that every kid wanted. Dad could be a little strict, but he was relaxed and cool. Lately, he'd been more protective than usual, but I didn't mind.

"Yes daddy," I responded. He embraced me in a warm hug and I kissed him on the cheek. Dad sat on the bed and drew my mother to him. She would probably drench his suit in tears, before the wedding even started.

Rebecca sat a box down on the vanity. "Sit," she commanded. I did as she commanded. Suddenly, there was a curling iron in her hand. I was a little nervous. Last year, I'd let one of my best friends do my hair before prom. She'd burnt me with the curling iron. It looked like I had a hickey and everyone made fun of me all night.

Rebecca was good though. She'd worked on my hair earlier.

"You already curled my hair," I said.

"Yes, but you have the most stubborn hairI've ever seen. Your curls are already falling out," she huged. I loved that girl. She never failed to make me laugh. Rebecca and Maya had both been staying with us all week. They had flown in from France just for the wedding.

After a while, my curls had been fixed and little white flowers had been placed everywhere throughout my hair. It looked great. I wanted to cry, but feared I would look a little conceited. Was I allowed to be in love with my hair and dress? It was my wedding and the only time I'd ever look this good.

Rebecca and my mom left to go sit down. My dad stood and held his arm out for me. With a smile, I looped my arm through his.

We left the room and made our way through the little church. My family and I had been attending this church since I was eight years old. It was kind of part of me. I'd been extremely relieved when Pastor Brown said he'd wed me. It felt right to get married here.

We stood outside the door to the sanctuary. He took a deep breath. "I'm happy for you Lizzie. I like Erik, He'll treat you good. Your mother and I love you and wish you the best." He kissed me on the cheek.

The rest of our little procession consisted of my little cousin as the ring bearer and my two girl cousins as flower girls. Everyone lined up and Max, the ring bearer, opened the doors.

I walked slow, trying not to trip over the train of my dress. Everyone was looking at me. At first, I didn't like it. What if they were judging me? Did I looke okay? Gradually, I began to hear girls whispering about how good my hair was. A few boys looked on with awe. One whispered to another, "Shes stunning."

Suddenly, I looked up and saw Erik. All of the anxiety left me. He was looking at the floor. His suit was black and there was a purple tie around his neck. It matched the purple sparkes on the bosom of my dress. My eye shadow was also a light purple.

Erik's hair covered his face It was still long and unruly. My dad had suggested that Erik get a haircut, but Erik wouldn't. I was on Erik's side, of course. I loved that hair.

He looked up and saw me. I noticed his shoulders relax and the set of his jaw go slack. There was awe and happiness in his eyes. I tried to tsuppress the blush that he was causing.

I met him at the front of the sanctuary. My pastor said some stuff. We said our vows. THe pastor said more stuff. None of the words were registering though. I kept looking at Erik. He was so unbelievably handsome.

"I do," I said. We kissed. My mom was crying in the front pew and my father was holding her.

Jeremy, who was sitting in the back, let a few silent tears go. He had only been invited after I persistently begged Erik. Poor Jeremy loved me. I just didn't love him. I loved Erik. And now he was mine forever.

Only about thirty people were in the church. Most were family or close friends. A couple were friends of the family, teachers that had had big impacts on my life, and girls that I had once been close to.

Erik smiled and took my hand. We left the church together and got into a limo. The after party had been planned my my mom, Rebecca, and Maya. It was down town at a little building that you could rent out.

There was food, dancing, and more tears from my mother.

My little cousins, who had posed as flower girls, were Lilah and Lolah. They were sisters. Lilah was fifteen and Lolah was fourteen. They kpt giggling and talkign about how cute Erik was. It made me laugh.

Their young age and innocence made me wonder where mine had gone. Was I really married? This was crazy and yet...

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see who it was. Erik stood, looking at me. "Hello gorgeous, have we met?" he asked.

I giggled a bit. "I don't believe we have."

"Well, what a shame! Let me introduce myself. Erik Destler at your service madam," he said with a smile. He bowed and put out his hand for me.

I took his hand and made a small curtsy, "Lizzie Mo- I mean Destler." I winked.

Erik held me tight as our official wedding song cae on. It was an original piece from La Carlotta.

_**Think of me.**_

He held me closer as we swayed to the music. No one had understood our choice for th ewedding song. Of course no one knew that my Erik was the phantom of the opera. He was just Erik Destler, a composer that I'd fallen for in France.

_**Think of me fondly.**_

We danced, making small circles on the dance floor. Erik had taught me all kinds of ballroom dancing. It wasn't that hard, especially with his help.

_** When we've said goodbye. **_

"You have talented feet," Erik commented. He was a smooth liar. It had taken everything I had to not trip that night.

"Thanks."

_**Remember me once in a while.**_

The lights reflected in his eyes. I leaned in and kissed him. Only, this wasn't the short peck that had proven us husband and wife. This was a long, passion derived kiss. I could hear people whispering about what a cute couple we were. Lilah and Lolah giggled. Max remarked that kissing was gross and his fleeing footsteps could be heard. I opened my eyes as we pulled apart.

_**Please promise me you'll try.**_

This was so perfect. Him and I.

"Could it be, that I'm in love with an angel?" he asked.

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I have to admit something guys. I cried writing this. Yes, everyone was taking their finals and I had already finished mine. So, I decided to write the last chapter for could it be. And I started crying. Its just sad to think that its already over. I might do that afterword still. I might do a sequel. But the first could it be story is officially over:( Don't unsubscribe because the afterword will probably be up in a few weeks or so. I hope you guys enjoyed. Please let me know!


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